THE RURAb NEW-YORKER 
831 
Finishing Poultry for the Market. 
A Statement of New York Conditions. 
Part IV. 
TURKEYS.—After the rush of chickens to the cen¬ 
tralizing plants in the Fall, the turkeys begin to move, 
and, while no one has successfully fed the turkeys on 
the battery coop plan, yet they are handled in large 
quantities in the plant, but killed immediately after be¬ 
ing received from farmers and shippers in the ad¬ 
jacent territories. The handling of the turkey is prac¬ 
tically the same as the handling of the chickens. The 
principal markets prefer the dry-cooled and dry-packed 
poultry, and the United States government Department 
of Agriculture recommends the dry-cooling system as 
the best yet developed. 
DUCKS ANI) GEESE.—In some sections of Wis¬ 
consin and Iowa large quantities of ducks and geese 
are fed. These birds are fed in pens in the open, plenty 
of straw being kept for their tramping on and plenty 
of sun, and the water kept in the troughs in the pens. 
The section in and about Watertown, Wis., is noted 
for its fat geese, the birds coming from this section in 
some instances weighing as high as 80 pounds each. In 
the specially fat geese the liver is of abnormal size and 
is considered a great delicacy by the Hebrews, who 
pay a big price for goose livers. The greatest devel¬ 
opment in duck raising and fattening has taken place 
on Long Island. The farmers are located in and 
about Eastport and Riverhead, L. I., where hundreds 
of thousands of ducks are hatched out and fattened 
each season. These young Spring ducks weigh when 
dressed, from four to seven pounds each and are of 
extremely fine quality. 
SOUTHERN POULTRY.—The poultry in the 
South when delivered by the farmers to the shippers 
as a rule, is not fnt, and stations located at such points 
as Nashville have made a wonderful showing in the fat¬ 
tening of the poultry received. Poultry direct from the 
Southern farms sells from two to four cents per pound 
less than the poultry from the more favored section in 
the corn belt, but this poultry now brings, after being 
fed, fully as much money as Illinois, Indiana or Ohio 
birds. Texas, during the last 10 years, has developed 
into the best turkey State in the Union. At Cuero, 
Yokum, Temple, Waco, Dallas, Dennison and Wichita 
Falls large warehouses and refrigerators have been 
equipped for the handling of the turkey crop, which 
this year will amount to about 800 carloads of 20,000 
pounds each. 
METHODS OF SELLING.—The marketing of 
dressed poultry by the large packing house interests of 
Chicago is very largely done through their own branch 
houses and the system has made it possible for them 
to ship poultry to every State in the Union, to Alas¬ 
ka, South America, England and South Africa. The 
English market for years has taken a big number of 
milk-fed chickens weighing from 2% to 8% pounds 
each. The small shipper or the shipper who has no 
outlet of his own, ships his poultry to commission mer¬ 
chants located in the large cities who make a specialty 
of handling dressed poultry. As a rule these commis¬ 
sion merchants have become very well off financially 
while the small shipper and some of the larger ones, 
who have been forced to patronize them have not 
fared nearly so well. 
COMMISSION ABUSES—The method of handling 
dressed poultry consigned to commission merchants in 
New York City at the present time is identically the 
same as it was thirty years ago. The shipper is at the 
mercy of the commission man who very often reports 
the poultry as arriving in bad order, in fact using every 
excuse conceivable for returning the lowest possible 
price. During the rush of shipments to the New York 
markets in the season 1918 for the Thanksgiving holi¬ 
day, fully 80% of the poultry received was reported to 
the shippers as arriving out of condition. A shipper 
named Ziegler located at Fairfield, Iowa, who shipped 
two carloads of poultry to New \ r ork, was informed 
that the poultry arrived in very bad order. After an 
investigation it was found that one of the health offi¬ 
cers in New York City had been bribed to issue a cer¬ 
tificate condemning the poultry and then permitting a 
large amount of the poultry to be sold. This inspector 
was discharged by the health authorities and prose¬ 
cuted, but it shows to what extent commission mei’- 
ehants handling dressed poultry in the New York mar¬ 
ket may go in order to take advantage of the producers 
and shippers. 
The Power of Pen and Ink. 
We have had a number of letters from readers who 
ask what they can do to help in the campaign for 
better marketing facilities and a fairer share of the 
consumer’s dollar. We call their attention to the fol¬ 
lowing letter, which was written to the editor of a 
paper in New York. It might well have been sent to 
any one of a dozen trade and farm papers printed in 
this country, and it would do them far more good than 
a dose of medicine: 
Although not residents of New York State we never¬ 
theless felt much concerned over the new Department 
<>f Foods and Markets established in that State because 
the work of this department is, we believe, going to 
point the way to something better in the solution of 
the marketing problem throughout the whole country. 
Reforms are needed, and none knows this better than 
the producers of peaches and other perishable produce. 
The writer has been a reader of your paper for a 
number of years past, and has not failed to note a dis¬ 
position on your part to antagonize any campaign or 
legislation which might curtail in any way the present 
high-handed methods of the middlemen. We do not 
condemn middlemen indiscriminately for we have many 
good friends among commission men in Eastern and 
Southern cities. These men we know to be honest, up¬ 
right and unimpeachable in character, but too often 
they are forced by a system which we know they do 
not approve to lower business standards. 
We wish to state frankly that we do not approve of 
your attack on the Department of Foods and Markets, 
and upon the new head of this department. Our feel¬ 
ings on this subject are shared by all of our fruit¬ 
growing neighbors so far as wc are aware. We feel 
that Mr. Dillon is the man for the place, and he is 
in position to get his findings before the public as no 
other man in the State of New York would be. Pub¬ 
licity counts for a very great deal in a campaign of this 
kind. You charge Mr. Dillon with being a theorist, 
and ignorant on the whole question of marketing. Our 
own opinion is that Mr. Dillon knows entirely too much 
about the question to suit you and others who are try¬ 
ing to discredit him. You may an well give up the 
fight so far as influencing producers is concerned; they 
know Mr. Dillon to he a man who has championed their 
rights for years and they are with him in this fight. 
You ask us to help increase your subscription list. 
We do not feel like imposing on our friends so long as 
you feci it your duty to champion the cause of the 
middlemen, be he right or wrong, and work against 
all measures instigated for the benefit of the producer. 
Sleepy Creek, W. Va. s. n. fttlton. 
We regard that as a model letter. Mr. Fulton does 
not bluster or threaten or bluff. There is no mistak¬ 
ing what he says, and not the slightest indication that 
anyone can frighten or drive him from his convictions. 
Here is a strong man with power and reserve who 
knows what he is talking about and who has the cour¬ 
age to drive his convictions home. That is the sort of a 
letter which counts. It is just what these papers that 
are side-stepping or fighting the 85-cent dollar and the 
marketing proposition need. A letter like that, fired 
right into them, is like one of these big modern shells 
plumped right into a fortress and exploded. 
The Country’s Fruit Crop. 
General State Estimates. 
In Hampshire County and neighboring territory, the 
peach crop will be rather light, varying from none at 
all to a fairly good crop, according to the local eleva¬ 
tion of the orchard. Further south in the Connecticut 
Valley and in the eastern part of the State, I under¬ 
stand that the prospects are much better. The prospects 
are for a fair crop of apples. Some trees will bear very 
heavily, others moderately or none at all. Probably we 
shall have considerably fewer apples than last year. 
Bush fruits suffered somewhat from Winter injury, but 
generally there will be a good crop. Strawberries in 
low situations have undoubtedly suffered from recent 
frosts. On the whole we look forward to a good fruit 
crop, although not as abundant as that of last year, 
with the exception of peaches, which were last year a 
complete failure. j. k. Siiaw. 
Massachusetts Agricultural College. 
So far as I have observed and as information has 
come to this office the prospects for fruit crops this 
year are excellent. The Winter was a little less severe 
than usual, and as a consequence peach trees in every 
part of the State that I know have escaped injury from 
frost. The chances for other fruit are also good. If 
no serious mishap occurs I think without doubt the 
State will harvest a full crop along all lines. 
R. I. Exp. Station. a. e. stene. 
The peach crop is splendid. The Mayflower and a 
few other early ripening varieties of peaches are now 
ripe (June 6) in the Southern section of the poach 
growing area in this State. A few cars of the May¬ 
flower—so the papers reported—were shipped from 
the district south of Macon several days ago. In the 
vicinity of the Experiment Station (in middle Georgia) 
the Mayflower and Victor varieties are just beginning 
to ripen—they are about 10 days late this season ; the 
tree well loaded. The Elbertas are loaded and well 
developed this season. The prospects are very good 
indeed. We have had good rains and the crop is in 
a good condition. Some of the peach shippers estimate 
the crop of peaches for Georgia this season at about 
5,000 cars. The plum crop is good, though it has lit¬ 
tle commercial rating in this State. The apple crop 
is promising; a good many of the varieties are well 
loaded. h. p. stuckey. 
Georgia Exp. Station. 
The outlook for the fruit crop in Virginia has been 
estimated by the Secretary of the Horticultural So¬ 
ciety, who has made a canvass of the situation, to be 
about 60% for apples and 83% for peaches. In this 
immediate section of the State, Southern West Vir¬ 
ginia, the prospects for apples are quite poor. I am 
inclined to think that a revision of the estimate will 
decrease rather than increase the percentage of the 
apple crop. The situation for Winesaps and Yorks has 
not been extra good, while a good crop of Pippins has 
been reported. Fire blight has been unusually common 
throughout the State and has been responsible for the 
reduction of the crop in many localities. 
Virginia Exp. Station. H. L. price. 
The strawberry crop now being harvested is light; 
on account of last year’s drought there was not a full 
stand of plants, and the fruit buds of these plants did 
not mature to the best advantage except in the best 
managed plantings so the bloom was weak. Further¬ 
more abundant rains during the picking season has ap¬ 
parently stood in the way of perfect pollination so 
shipments will be lighter than was anticipated. The 
prospect for other berries is good. The peach crop in 
the northern half of the State has most of the fruit 
buds killed in the Winter, probably not above two per 
cent, setting fruit. This cuts very little figure, how¬ 
ever, with the crop to be shipped as the large commer¬ 
cial orchards are mostly in the southern one-third of 
the State. In the southern section from which peaches 
will be shipped prospects are good for a fine well 
grown crop which promises to be of fine quality. Ben 
Davis apple orchards which were mostly heavily loaded 
last year, have set a very light crop. Gano, which 
goes in the same type, also has a light set. Since 
these varieties form the larger part of our plantings, 
the crop as a whole for the State will be less than half 
of that of last year. Jonathans on an average set a 
heavier crop in this State than they did last year. 
Twig blight is developing to an unusual extent, how¬ 
ever, so that crop of Jonathans will be reduced some¬ 
what by this disease. The Jonathan crop, however, 
should be somewhat heavier than last year. York Im¬ 
perial, Grimes, Winesap and other varieties generally 
have a fair crop—not. heavy. On the whole, present 
estimates place the apple crop at somewhat less than 
half of last year’s yield for the State. 
Missouri Agricultural College. ,r. c. WHITTEN. . 
The general prospect for apples in the State as a 
whole at the present time is fully 50% of a full crop. 
The chief unfavorable influence has been the unusual 
prevalence of fire blight, which in some places has 
greatly reduced the crop prospects. In the case of 
peaches, the present prospects are from 90 to 100% 
of a full crop. The prospect in peaches is for a fuller 
and more general crop than we have had for the last 
eight years. In regard to the other fruits, our informa¬ 
tion is not sufficient to give a reliable estimate at the 
present time. j. p. stewaut. 
Pa. Agricultural College. 
The indications are that we shall have a very heavy 
peach crop. Practically every peach tree in the State 
is set full of fruit. Unless some accident occurs to thin 
the crop or thinning is religiously practiced, there will 
be a lot of under-sized fruit to be thrown upon the 
market. The past three weeks have not been favorable 
to the peach crop and I look for a heavy June drop, 
especially on those orchards that have not been sprayed. 
There is also a possibility of an epidemic of brown rot 
which may cut the fruit down considerably. Accord¬ 
ing to all reports, the apple crop seems to be good, al¬ 
though during the past 10 days we have been receiving 
a good many reports of fire blight and it is uncertain 
how much trouble this may do to the present crop. 
However, I rather look for a large apple crop. Pear 
crop is small, practically nothing but Kieffors. We 
have no plums to speak of. The grape prospects are 
good. c. A. MC CUE. 
Delaware Exp. Station. 
We expect a big crop of fruit from all sections of the 
State, so far as I know at this time. Of course the 
apple crop has been reduced by virtue of an excessive 
outbreak of blight, but I do not believe this will have 
much effect upon the final output, as in many cases 
the blight serves to thin the fruit in the proper way. 
All reports 1 have indicate a very large crop of peach¬ 
es, and to date the crop is looking well. 
Maryland Exp. Station. t. r. symons. 
Roughly I should say that we will have about 25 to 
80% less of a crop than last year. In some sections 
of the State, especially through the southern part, the 
apples have bloomed heavy again, indicating a full 
crop, other sections it is quite spotted, some orchards 
practically none. During the past week we have had 
some severe frosts and some freezes. At the college 
we have lost practically all of our fruit, while in some 
of the higher lands they were uninjured. This will 
produce again a spotted condition over the State low¬ 
ering the estimate I had made on the crop, but just 
how much I cannot say. j. h. gourley. 
New Hampshire Exp. Station. 
The apple crop in this State promises a fair crop. 
Earlier in the season, it was estimated at 65 to 70%. 
Twig blight, however, is quite serious over large por¬ 
tions of our territory, and this may result in a consid¬ 
erable lessening of that estimate. The outlook for 
plums is very favorable; peaches, perhaps 85%. In 
some, sections of the State, including this immediate 
vicinity, the peaches have been completely destroyed, 
but in others, the prospects are quite promising. Straw¬ 
berries have given an excellent crop this year, but the 
quality has been injured by the frequent rains which 
have softened the berries. c. w. mathews. 
Kentucky Exp. Station. 
Peaches have every promise of being nearly a full 
crop although in some orchards the yellow fruit did not 
set as heavy and will require very little thinning, while 
the white fruit is very heavily set and from present in¬ 
dications will require considerable thinning in order to 
bring the fruit up to good marketable size. There was 
a heavy bloom of apples, but from present indications 
there were large quantities that failed to set fruit, and 
we think the result will be not more than a moderate 
Crop. JOHN R. BARNES. 
Connecticut. 
There has been some injury to apples from the attacks 
of aphis, and considerable injury to apples and pears 
by the “blight” in some parts of the State. In spite of 
some injury of this sort, however, the prospects are for 
a large crop of all trees fruits, with possibly the ex¬ 
ception of pears, which bloomed full but set a light 
crop in some parts of the State. The prospects for a 
good crop of small fruits are also good, at the present 
time. M. A. BRAKE. 
New Jersey Station. 
Government Crop Reports. 
The Crop Estimating Bureau places the area in Win¬ 
ter wheat at 400,169,000 acres; Spring, 19,248,000, a 
total of 59,417,000 for all wheat, 11 per cent, area more 
than last year. The percentage outlook June 1 was 
85.8 on Winter, and 94.9 on Spring, an average of 
88.2 on all wheat, or 5.5 per cent less than last year. 
Based on the estimates and final results of other years, 
these figures indicate a wheat crop of 950,000,000 bush¬ 
els, or 69,000,000 more than last year. The bug and 
fly danyige to Winter wheat in Kansas and Missouri 
have apparently cut 15,000,000 bushels from the yield. 
Oats, with an average percentage of 104.6, promises 
1,288,000,000 bushels. 
There are 7,398,000 acres in barley; outlook, 97.9 
per cent.; probable yield 197,000,000 bushels. 
The States having a Winter wheat outlook 90 per 
cent, or above are: Washington, 99; Idaho, 98; Ore¬ 
gon, 97; Nebraska, 96; New York, 94; Texas, 93; 
Montana, 91; and California, Iowa and Ohio, 90. 
Other important States are: Michigan and North Car¬ 
olina, 87; Oklahoma, 85; Maryland and Virginia, 84; 
Pennsylvania, 88; Illinois, 82; Indiana and Kansas, 
81; Missouri, 71. 
Grain Notes and Movements. 
Exports from Atlantic and Gulf ports 
ing June 5 and since July 1 were: 
Week. 
Wheat, bu. 3,448,000 
Corn, bu. 486,000 
Oats, bu. 1,455,000 
Flour, bbls. 197,000 
Stocks in store were, in thousands 
for week end- 
Since July 1. 
295,028,000 
38,010,000 
86,466,000 
13,035,000 
of bushels: 
Wheat. 
Corn. 
Oats. 
New \ r ork .. 
269 
1,396 
Chicago . 
4,911 
3,514 
Duluth . 
175 
115 
Baltimore .., 
669 
565 
Philadelphia 
. 1,048 
201 
1*61 
Minneapolis 
181 
471 
Buffalo . 
. 1,714 
1,179 
1,060 
Kansas City 
1,099 
305 
